38 special loads

I'm looking for an accurate load using 125gr bullets. My experience has always been with bullseye powder. But,  with jacketed bullets that doesn't seen to be working. I went from 2.7 to 4.0 gr and nothing to speak of. Any hotter and we get into a recoil issue. I'd rather shoot my .45 then. Of course, these will be used in a revolver. Thinking of using it in NRA Action pistol or PPC. Any clues for powder and starting loads???? Thanks for your help

When you say "not working" can you be more specific?  I'm guessing they still go bang, and leave the gun to go downrange.

What brand of 125gr jacketed bullets are you using?
What size across are they--advertised and measured?
How bad was the accuracy with those loads you tried?  What distances?
How tight is your crimp?
What is your OAL?

IIRC, the NRA Action Pistol power floor is a "factor" of 125, which requires a full 1,000 fps for 125-gr bullets. That's usually +P power level in .38 Special.

I get okay accuracy with 4.4 of W-W 231 and 125s, depending on what bullet is used.  I suspect that would be close to the velocity you'd get with 4.0 of BE.  My notes don't say what velocity I get with plated bullets (accuracy is spotty with them, at least the two or three brands I've used--sometimes 1 inch at 25, usually 2-3, but sometimes 4!). I think they should be going about 870 with that load.

The floor does not apply for PPC, or the equivalent match for Action Pistol.

I've tried Berry's plated as well as Remington. I was just trying to get a general consensus of what other guys were using. As an old bullseye guy I've stuck with Bullseye powder for almost 30years using lead bullets. Fifty yards of course is the preferred distance. 3 1/2" average not included flyers which seem to happen on every group test. The flyers tend to be severe.

I found the plated wadcutters to have NO accuracy. Horrible 5-12" groups at 25 yds. I burned up about 300 of them before giving up.
Remington gives my 0.75-1.5" groups at 25 yds with almost any powder or charge weight.

OH, sorry, you want 125gn loads for .38 Special. 6.7-7.1gn of Power Pistol and a Zero .357 125gn JHP.

You can fit 7.1gr of powder under the 125gn JHP bullet?  That sounds really hot.  What is the maximum safe pressure load for Power Pistol powder in a .38spl?

Alliant's website says 6.1gr Power Pistol will push a 125gr bullet to 986 fps. Do we really need to push a bullet that fast for Bullseye?

You can't rely on this because not all variables for YOUR cases and chamber and loading length, etc. have been factored in, but...

QuickLOAD says that with a Rainier 124-gr plated and 7.1 gr Power Pistol in .38 Special, it's barely over standard .38 Special pressures (26 PSI [piezo] over...) and could be going 1242 FPS from a 6-inch revolver, minus whatever the barrel gap bleeds off. I seem to remember that old-timer testing with a Dan Wesson or something else showed that to be typically 50 fps???

That is loading a bit short to 1.35" OAL. I haven't checked my 125-gr loads for typical-ish OAL. But if you go out to the cartridge max OAL of 1.55, predicted pressure drops to barely under 12,000 PSI and velocity is supposed to be 1126 FPS.

PP is a good high-performance powder even beyond the recommended/?designed for? semiauto cartridges. And yeah, pushing 125s that fast is not needed for BE.

But I've thought of shaking things up by shooting at least a practice match with full-power loads...hehehe...

Looks like starting with roughly 4.2 of W231. Power Pistol won't work for me. I'm not looking to blow up my old model 10. I have some W231 that I use for my .38 super. Thanks for the start load............

Power Pistol will run lower pressures for the same velocity than W-W 231.

5 Gr Power Pistol, about 750 fps, 6-inch ish barrel .38 Spl., 125-gr Nosler (their bullet file was loaded into the program), 7,875 PSI.

3.7 231, everything else about the same, 8,182 fps.

Predictions based on generally-accurate mathematical models. YMMV and all that.

Not a lot of difference at velocities that mild, except for the charge weight. I'm using PP right now mainly because it's the last pound of pistol powder I could find a few months ago.  There's a lot of Alliant Steel powder in town (okay, three pounds in two stores) that hasn't moved off the shelves for a month... I just might have to buy THAT stuff next.

So, I'm guessing the pressure curve isn't as severe as some of the faster burners. Interesting. Generally, I'm looking for a load that produces accuracy from approx. 750-850fps. Anyone know where I can download a chart where all the powders burning rates (regardless of manufacturer) is listed. There are so many new powders today, its hard to keep up. I've been using the same powders forever.

Try ADI

http://www.adi-powders.com.au/handloaders-guide/

tenx9 wrote:So, I'm guessing the pressure curve isn't as severe as some of the faster burners. Interesting. Generally, I'm looking for a load that produces accuracy from approx. 750-850fps. Anyone know where I can download a chart where all the powders burning rates (regardless of manufacturer) is listed. There are so many new powders today, its hard to keep up. I've been using the same powders forever.

A little Google and there you go.

http://www.reloadersnest.com/burnrates.asp

http://www.adi-powders.com.au/handloaders-guide/equivalents.asp

thanks......